a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for performing an automatic control over a velocity of an automotive vehicle in which the apparatus is mounted so as to maintain an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to another vehicle running ahead of the vehicle to follow up the other vehicle.
b) Description of the Related Art
A Japanese Patent Application First Publication (non-examined) No. Heisei 9-263160 published on Oct. 7, 1997 exemplifies a previously proposed automatic vehicular velocity control system.
In the previously proposed automatic vehicular velocity control system disclosed in the above-identified Japanese Patent Application First Publication, such a cruise control that the vehicular velocity is made coincident with a target vehicular velocity when an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle equipped with the apparatus to another vehicle running ahead of the vehicle is equal to or above a constant value is carried out.
When the inter-vehicle distance is below the constant value, the previously proposed automatic vehicular velocity controlling apparatus carries out such a follow-up cruise control as to maintain the inter-vehicle distance to the other vehicle at a constant value. Furthermore, when a vehicular velocity control releasing condition is established such that during the above-described cruise control state, the vehicular velocity becomes below a controllable lowest velocity value due to a depression of a brake pedal of the vehicle, a release of a clutch pedal of the vehicle, or an operation of a release switch of the vehicle, the previously proposed automatic vehicular velocity controlling apparatus releases its preceding vehicle follow-up running cruise control function.